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Aaron Copland "How We Listen"
Abstract: Composer Aaron Copland takes an in-depth look at how we listen to music. Using his extensive musical background, Copland breaks down music into three distinct planes of listening. This division is used to help the reader understand how different people approach music and how all three planes can and should be used when listening. Key Concepts: As stated above this, article is laid out in three sections, one focusing on each plane of music. The sensuous plane is listening to music for “the sheer pleasure of the musical sound itself.” When listening in the sensuous plane, one is not concerned with any of the more in-depth elements of music. Artistic expression, lyrical meaning, chord composition, tempo, emotional response, and so on are all neglected in the sensual plane. Copland gives the example of turning on the radio as you do something else or work around the house as listening in the sensuous plane. His discussion of the sensuous plane is also rather brief relative to the other two and he explains that this is because “its appeal to every normal human being is self-evident.” The expressive plane focuses on the, for lack of a better word, expressive power of music. Copland acknowledges that this can be a controversial topic among musicians, as some feel as though their music as nothing more than notes on a page. However, he argues strongly in favor of the expressive power of music: “what the piece is saying, what the piece is about.” He goes on to discuss the degree to which the listener should search for a meaning of a piece. And in doing so, warns that, in his opinion, no more than a “general concept” should be sought after. He explains music can express an endless array of emotions, state of meaning, or even a feeling or meaning that “there exists no adequate word” to describe. This leads into his opinion of the nearly contradictory statement regarding the expressive meaning of music. He says “music does have an expressive meaning, but that we cannot say in so many words what the meaning is.” Finally the sheerly musical plane is exactly as stated, the pragmatic, scientific discussion of music. This plane is the notes on the paper and the way in which they are strung together to create music. Coplands discussion of this plane is not as in depth as that of the previous, but he does point out and warn against becoming too focused on the notes and melodies that one misses out on the previous two planes. From here Copland reiterates that he divided music listening into three planes with the hope of lending greater clarity to the reader. He ends the article with the analogy of going to the theater. He describes elements of a scene in a theater in each of the three planes he used to discuss music. Again, this is done with the hope of creating a clearer argument for the reader. His take away, is the hope that readers will become a more active listener. Utilizing the concept of his three planes, the user can become a “more conscious and aware listener – not someone who is just listening, but someone who is listening for something.” Other Sources: Aaron Copland: What to Listen for in Music – In this book Copland dives even deeper into how we listen to music and asks if we're hearing everything that's going on. Robert Greenberg: How to Listen to Great Music: A Guide to Its History, Culture, and Heart – On a similar topic to Copland, Greenberg takes on a more instructive approach to truly teach the reader how to listen to music. Stephen Davies: Musical Meaning and Expression – As the author himself states in the preface “This is a book about the meaning of music.” Klaus R. Scherer: Expression of Emotion in Voice and Music – Focusing solely on the expressive plane, Scherer discusses the unique ability of speech only humans have and the way in which we use it to convey emotion. Kenneth Aigen: Music-centered Music Therapy – After learning how one “should” listen to music or analyzing how we listen to music, Kenneth Aigen provides a different discusson on the power of music as he investigates music therapy. Key Words: Sensuous plane. Expressive Plane. Sheerly Musical Plane.